Troy, NY Saves Its Last Birth Center Through Unity

When Starletta Washington heard that Troy's last hospital birthing center was closing, she imagined pregnant mothers delivering babies on city buses and street corners. The thought blew her mind.

Trinity Health, a multibillion-dollar hospital system based in Michigan, announced plans three years ago to shut down the Burdett Birth Center at Samaritan Hospital. Families in this aging industrial city on the Hudson River would have to drive up to 30 minutes to Albany for deliveries.

The news broke without warning in a local newspaper, blindsiding obstetrical staff and community leaders. But instead of accepting defeat, Troy did something remarkable.

Within days, midwives, mothers, doulas and community leaders held a rally at the downtown YWCA. Republican Mayor Carmella Mantello joined Democratic State Assembly member John T. McDonald III. Planned Parenthood sat alongside the Catholic diocese.

"Whether you were Republican or Democrat, or if you didn't vote, it literally brought everyone together," Mantello said. "Everyone just said, 'We can't let this happen.'"

Volunteers made T-shirts and handed out pink "Save Burdett" signs at farmers markets. Activists conducted a community survey that revealed one in four Troy residents didn't have access to a car, making trips to Albany nearly impossible for low-income families.

Their efforts had good reason behind them. Burdett wasn't just any birthing center. It was a model for patient-focused care where midwives and doulas worked alongside OB-GYNs to support mothers who wanted to avoid unnecessary C-sections.

The results showed. Only about a quarter of Burdett babies were delivered by cesarean section, compared with a third statewide. The center also had fewer preterm births and fewer babies with low birth weights.

"I wouldn't go anywhere else," said Lidia Zambrano-Madera, who gave birth to both her children at Burdett with a midwife. For her, the center offered something priceless: it was just five minutes from home.

The Ripple Effect

Troy's story reflects a growing nationwide frustration with large corporate health systems that can seem to prioritize profits over patients. Since 2010, hospitals have closed hundreds of maternity units as communities shrink and healthcare consolidates.

But Troy's campaign shows what's possible when communities unite around shared values. The coalition secured $5 million in state funding to help keep Burdett open, proving that citizens can still challenge corporate decisions that affect their lives.

Washington, who was born at Samaritan Hospital and had her own children there, watched her community come together in ways she'd never seen before. Their success sends a message to other communities facing similar fights: you don't have to accept losing vital services without a battle.

Troy kept its birthing center, and in doing so, kept something even more valuable: proof that common ground still exists.